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Breweries among the world produce not only luscious beer but also huge amount of organic waste and wastewater. To avoid undesirable waste, many of them decided to implement the waste-to-energy process. Some breweries take their eco-activities even to the next level.

How do the environmentally-friendly wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) work?

Old wastewater treatment plants are not capable to cover the needs of the majority of breweries anymore. The brewing grows and so does the water and energy consumption during the production process as well as the contamination of wastewater.
 
Not only they are noisy and smelly, annoying everyone living in the surroundings, but they are also insufficient from economical perspective. The operation of such plants, just as the wastewater treatment process itself, requires great energy supply. However, the technological development is of benefit to both businesses and the environment.
 
The answer lies in anaerobic wastewater treatment.

WWTPs convert wastewater into energy-rich biogas and the cogeneration unit transforms it into electrical and thermal energy. This means they are energy self-sufficient, at least for their operation. 

Eco-friendly breweries in Slovakia and Moscow

Heineken, for instance, established modern anaerobic wastewater treatment plant in Hurbanovo, Slovakia for the treatment of its own wastewater.
 
Russian brewery, Moscow Brewing Company, took the same path. We provided them with modern green biogas production technology based on the transformation of wastewater into biogas, and installed our cogeneration unit for thermal energy generation and raw water heating

In cooperation with Hydrotech, Moscow brewery can now transform waste into energy. Source: http://www.hydrotech.sk/novinky/rekonstrukcia-cov-pre-pivovar-v-moskve-a2477211

Eco-friendly bus tours of Czech brewery

Pilsner Urquel, Czech brewery, chose a different, yet still eco-friendly, approach. Since 2015, it offers free eco-friendly CNG bus rides for all its visitors. And there are plenty of them.
 
People travel from all corners of the world to enjoy a guided tour in Pilsner Urquel (Czech Plzenský Prazdroj) every single day, apart from Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
 
CNG buses significantly reduce carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, as well as particulates from the exhaust gas. There is no gainsaying that small changes can make a big difference in environment protection. 

Paper beer bottle revolution in Denmark

It would really benefit the environment, if beer could be sold in paper containers. Danish brewery, Carlsberg, is going to make it real! Wondering how?
 
These bottles are made of similar materials as egg packaging boxes. As a matter of course, they must be impermeable, opaque and unbreakable. Their most considerable advantage is their ability of full biological decomposition including the caps.
 
Here you can see the green fibre bottle of Carlsberg:

Biologically decomposable beer bottles may be the future of beer packaging. Source: https://twitter.com/hashtag/greenfiberbottle

World’s largest brewery commits to 100 % energy from renewable sources

The mindset of Anheuser-Busch, world’s largest beer producer, is also oriented towards environment protection.

This year, the brewing company, which represents global brands such as Stella Artois, Corona or Budweiser, introduced their new energy plan to secure 100% of the company’s energy from renewable sources by 2025.

World’s largest brewing company, Anheuser-Busch, plans to use 100% energy from renewable sources. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anheuser-Busch

The company is going to purchase clean energy and expand their capacity of solar panels. What’s the reason for such shift?
 
Carlos Brito, CEO of Anheuser-Busch, implied that the usage of renewable energy sources is not only their social responsibility but it is also cost-efficient.
 
It can reduce company’s carbon footprint by approximately 30%, corresponding to the emissions produced by 500,000 cars. 

For the sake of environment, laws and promotion

It goes without saying that large enterprises have great social and environmental responsibility. Eco-friendly mindset is not only the way of thinking but also an instrument how to raise your reputation and reduce costs.
 
The above mentioned are only an example of the vast amount of breweries which understand the ecological and economic benefits of environmentally-friendly entrepreneurship.
 
If you want to join them, we are more than willing to help you. Anaerobic wastewater treatment has deep roots at Hydrotech.

Transform your wastewater into energy with our wastewater treatment unit!